Voltimum, May 3, 2007

GOVERNMENT MUST LEGISLATE TO AVOID POWER LINE HEALTH RISK

[Rachel's introduction: The British Government should legislate to avoid any potential health risks from overhead high voltage power lines, says the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.]

As one of forty members of the advisory group SAGE (Stakeholder advisory group to Government on electric and electric magnetic fields), RICS [Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors] has called on the Government to legislate to restrict the building of new homes and schools next to existing power lines and on the placing of new power lines close to existing schools and homes.

Since all groups agree that there is a raised risk for childhood leukaemia, RICS believes that this is enough for the Government to consider the need for precautionary measures in the built environment in respect of exposure of people to EMFs.

Contributing member, Michael Jayne FRICS said: "The Government should take precautionary measures in order to ensure that the health risk is minimised by preventing the building of residential property within specified distances of overhead power lines."